Process and machine for continuous dyeing



June 5, 1923.

H. METCALFE PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS DYEING Filed Jan. 5, 19222 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1923.

H. METCALFE PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR coNTINuous DYEING Filed. Jan. 5,1922 2 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 5, 1923.

UNH'FED STATES PATENTQFFICE.

HARRY METCALFE, F SOMERSWORTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PROCESS AND MACHINE FOR CONTINUOUS IlYIEINGn Application filedv January3, 1922. Serial No. 526,731.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY Mn'roALrn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Somersworth, in the county ofStrafford and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes and Machines for Continuous Dyeing,

through a fixing vat of chrome or other similar material and be washedat the end or at other stages ofthe process.

On account of the fact that in orderto obtain the desired shades, dyesof diflerent colors must be mixed together and that such mixture is notstrictlya chemical combination, it is found that the cloth has moreaifinity for one of the component colors than for another and for thisreason has a tendency to take up more of that shade than the others.

The result of this is that the end of the cloth which first passesthrough the dye and other vats has a different shade from that whichcomes through at the end.

In the effort to obtain a strip of cloth of the same shade from one endto the other, the practice has been to add to the dye liquor enough ofthe color for which the cloth has the most aflinity to even up theexcess amount of that shade absorbed by the cloth, but it has been foundimpossible to so graduate the addition of such d e as to make theresulting color of cloth uniform throughout the strip.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a process and, preferably, amachine for carrying out the process, whereby the cloth, or at least onesurface thereof, shall be of exactly a uniform shade from end to end. Itis especially useful for relatively thick cloth.

I accomplish this purpose by using in connection with the usual dye boxan independent tank or reservoir in which the same shade or color ismixed, but through which the 01 th does not pass, and preferably I keepthe dye-in'this tank at all times well mixed and conduct it to a pointjust before the cloth enters the squeeze rolls, where this supplementarydye is sprayed or sprinkled on the surface 0 the goods.

As this supplementary dye is sprinkled on the cloth, instead of thecloth being passed through it, there is nothing to change the shade, andas it is sprinkled at least over one surface and, preferably, forcedthrough the entire body of the cloth by the heavy squeeze rolls, it isapparent that when the cloth leaves the squeeze rolls it will continueto have a uniform color throughout, or at least on one surface.

The advantages of my process and machine are that a practicallyunlimited amount of cloth can be dyed exactly the same color, and thereis a substantial saving in the amount of dye necessary.

My process and machine are particularly useful for dyeing cotton clothor other textile material composed of vegetable fiber more or lesssimilar to cotton. It may be used for wool, silk, or other animal fiber,but the process of dyeing such material is different asit has adifferent affinity for the dye and there is therefore not as much needfor In process. In addition to securing a more unlorm color, my processuses less dye. In the old system the cloth passes through the dye andabsorbs part of the color. The rest of the dye in the tank is off shadeand is therefore allowed to overflow and is thrown away as no usehas'been found for it, while in my process, by proper regulation thereis little if any overflow as all the dye is taken up by thecloth. With asuitable device and ment, the amount of dye delivered for the face colorcan be of such quantity. that the amount squeezed out by the finishingrolls will exactly equal the amount of basic color taken up by theundyed cloth as it enters the proper adj ustdyeing apparatus, with theresult that there from specks and 7 in the most approved manner in thechrome and of suitable length dyeing of cotton clot Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic plan View of the dye box or main dye tank and the fixingand washing tanks or vats.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section from the side of the squeeze rolls, showingtheir nip and the sprinkler.

Fig. 4 is a section from the front on the line 4.-4: of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view of the sprinkler K from the other side of line H fromthat shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a single dye box notassociated with washing or fixing vats.

Fi 7 is a sectional side elevation similar to Fig 3 of a modification ofmy machine showing another way of carrying out my process.

1 re resents a floor and 2 represents the floor a ove of any suitablebuilding, or 2 mi ht indicate a raised platform.

n the fioor'l, I show dye box A next to which are the two washingmachines or water tanks B and B beyond which is the fixing vat C andbeyond this the final washing machine or washing tank D. tank there is aseries of bottom rollers 10 and top rollers 11 which may to permit thecloth, such as F, to pass under bottom rollers 10 and over top rollers11.

' The cloth F is shown as passing down under a friction bar 3, thenceover a measurin roll 4, thence under another friction 5 an over,friction bar 6. It passes thence under and over the rolls 10' and 11 indye box A, and in the middle of its course preferably up over the largesqueeze roll I, thence bac again and final y from the top roll 9 backbetween the squeeze rolls H and G, thence up over an elevated seriesof'rolls 15 which permit the air to reach it for oxidation.

The dye box A preferably has at the bottom a series of steam coils 118and the overflow outlets 12, one arranged above the other so that theheight of the dye in the box can be regulated by opening or closing theoverflow outlets.

Preferably, the top and bottom squeeze rolls H and I are of cast ironand the middle roll G is rubber covered, and these rolls In each be idleor driven of two or more mixing are pressed together by their own weightor by pressure mechanism indicated as springs L. Located at a high pointon the next floor or platform is the auxiliary dye tank X shown ascontaining a steam coil 7 3, by which the dye is heated and agitated,and as having a delivery pipe 16 and control valve 7 4.

1 preferably use two or more dye mixing tanks 7 O and 70, each havingoutlet 72 with control valve 71 whereby the dye can be mixed in onewhile it is being delivered from the other into the tank X. By thisarrangement the supply of dye can be kept continuously uniform inguantity and color.

Auxiliary dye elivery pipe 16 has a regulating valve 17 and connectswith a sprinkler pipe K positioned over the cloth as it runs from theroll 9 to the nip of the rolls G and H and close up thereto. Thedelivery holes 19 of sprinkler K are of such size and the delivery ofthe dye so regulated that it is spread out evenly on the cloth by thepressure rolls G and H and any excess runs down over the cloth and roll9 into the dye box A. The quantity can be so regulated, however, thatthere is very little, if any, to run out of the overflow outlets 12.

From the rolls 15, the cloth passesrover an idle roll 20 under and overthe rolls 10 and 11 in the first washing machine tank B thence up over Hdown into the second washing machine tank B thence being squeezed byother squeeze rolls H and G into the fixing tank C.

The fixing tank C is preferably provided with steam coil 18: and anoutlet 49 which may be at a lower level than that of the washingmachines, and thecloth passes under rolls 10 and over rolls 11, thencebetween squeeze rolls H and G into the final washing machine tank Dunder rolls 10 and over rolls 11, thence through squeeze rolls H and Gup and over reels 100, 100, thence on to a delivery truck P.

Preferably, the water pipe Y is provided with branches 22, 32 and 52which extend horizontally .into tanks B, B and D and has verticalconnections 23, 33 and 53 with regulating valves 24, 34 and 54 for thelateral water sprinklers directly in front of the nip of the respectivesqueeze rolls H washed just before it is squeezed in all of the washingmachines. Tanks B 13 andD may "be provided with overflow outlets 29, 39and 59 at a suitable height.

Z represents ah auxiliary fixing tank which may be kept continuouslysupplied by means tanks 80, 80, each between squeeze rolls G and 26, 36and 56 arranged and G. The cloth is thus havin a delivery spent 82 andshut-off valye 81. e fixing material such as chrome may bemixed inthetanks 80, 80 and continu ally delivered in uniform strength from tank Zthrough pipe 85, the supply being regulated by valve 84. 88 is a fixingsprayer to which pipe delivers, the supply being further regulated byvalve 86. This spray is directed upon the cloth just before it reachesthe nip of the squeeze rolls H and G.

The dye box A may be filled independently or, preferably, from auxiliarydye tank X and pipe 16 through the branch 7--controlled by valve 18,andin the same way the fixing tank C can be filled independently or pipe85, the supply befrom tank Z through ing controlled by valve 7.

All of the squeeze rolls H and G are substantially the same and thesprinklers 26, 36, 56, and 88 are substantially the same as dyesprinkler K.

\Vhere cloth of different widths is being run through, the holes in eachsprinkler may, as indicated at M in Fig. 5, be covered up so that lessdye, water or chrome will be wasted.

In Fig. 6, I show a dye box used alone without washing machines orfixing tanks, with only two squeeze rolls H and G, the roll I beingomitted and the cloth passing under and over rolls 10 and 11 and fromthe last roll 11 up between the squeeze rolls.

Such an arrangement can be used, although I prefer the one shown in Fig.1.

It is obvious that my processmight be used with various other machinesand with various other arrangements of parts.

For instance, as shown in Fig. 7, instead of a sprinkler such as K forthe dye, I might pass the cloth F from the dye box over a roll 92,thence down under another roll 91 which almost fills a shallow dye tankkept supplied with dye from another body of dye such as a tank like X,whereby the cloth, after being submerged in one body of dye to producethe base color, will then have its surface treated with dye from anotherbody of dye to roduce an uniform face color.

f prefer that at the nip of the squeeze rollers there should be enoughbasic and finishing dye to completely saturate the cloth, the dye beingforced between the threads and perhaps into the fiber.

I may, however, instead of delivering so much finishing dye as would besqueezed entirely through from the back to the front of the cloth, use asmaller quantity delivered or sprayed on the face 95 of the cloth, asindicated in Fig. 6, with theresult that this face is of uniform coloreven if the back is not.

It is obvious that in Whichever manner the cloth is treated from onebody of dye to produce a base color, the final color, either of bothfaces or of one, is determined by the application of the color fromanother body of dye in the manner described. The dye from the secondbody may be delivered in a fine spray instead of sprinkled so that thereW111 be little if any forced through the cloth,

and the face of the cloth may therefore have a finishing color differentfrom the basic color and the back.

My machine and process, however, are particularly useful forcomparativelyv thick or heavy cloth into which the color must be forcedand which is made of material which has an affinity for some of the dyecomponents more than for others.

I claim: 1; The process of uniformly dyeing a strip of cotton. clothwhich consists of passing it from one end continuously through one mainbody of dye, then sprinkling on the back thereof dye from another bodyof dye, then squeezing the cloth so that the dye will be driven throughthe cloth uniformly, then treating it with fixing material and washingit.

2. The process of uniformly dyeing a.

strip of cotton cloth which consists of passing it from one endcontinuously through one body of dye, then sprinkling itwith dye fromanother body of dye, then squeezing the cloth, then treating it withfixing material" and then Washing it.

3. The process of uniformly dyeingcloth which consists of submerging itin one body of dye to produce a base color, and then sprinkling thesurface with dye from anotiier body of dye to produce a uniform face coor.

4. The process of uniformly dyeing cloth which consists of submerging itin one body of dye to produce a base color and then applying to thecloth outside said body of dye dye from another body of dye to produce auniform face color.

5. The combination in a machine for continuously dyeinga strip of clothan uniform color, of a dye box having sub-merged rollers, squeezerollers located over the tank in position where the excess of dye willwashing tank having submerged rolls,

squeeze rolls. and a sprinkler located adjacent said rolls; a fixingtank having submerged rolls, and squeeze rolls; and an independentsource of fixing material and a sprinkler adjacent the squeeze rollsconnected therewith; together with a final washing tank having submergedrolls, squeeze rolls and a sprinkler.

6. The combination in a machine for continuously dyeing a strip of clothan uniform color, of a dye box having submerged rollers, squeeze rollerslocated over the tank in position where the excess of dye will droptherein; with an auxiliary dye tank and means for agitating the dyetherein, an outlet ipe therefrom, a sprinkler attached to sai outletpipe withits holes in position to sprinkle dye on the cloth after t edye box just before it passes between the squeeze rollers; and means forregulating the flow of the dye through said sprink- 7. The combinationin a machine for continuously dyeing a stri of cloth an uniform color;of a dye x containing one bod of dye and means for submerging the clottherein; with squeeze rollers located over the tank in position wherethe excess of dye Will drop therein; an auxiliary dye tank containinganother body of dye; an outlet pipe therefrom; and a sprinkler attachedto said outlet pipe with its holes in position to sprinkle dye on thecloth after 1t has left the dye box just before it passes between thesqueeze rollers.

8. The process of uniformly dyeing a strip of cotton cloth whichconsists of passing it another body it has left from one endcontinuously through one body of dye, then sprinkling it with dye fromof dye, then immediately squeezing the cloth to so expel the excess ofdye that it will merge with the dye from the first bod then treating itwith fixing material, an then washin it. v

9. The process of uni ormly dyeing a strip of cloth which consists ofpassing it from one end continuouslythrough one body of dye, thendistributing outside said body of dye dye upon it from another body ofdye, and y then immediately squeezing the cloth to so expelithe excessof dye that it will merge with the dye from the first body.

10. The processof uniformly dyeing cloth which consists of treating itwith one body of dye to produce the base color, and then applying to thecloth outside said body of dye dye -from another body of dye to producea uniform face color.

HARRY METGALFE.

